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Whiskey Pineapple Chicken

Whiskey pineapple chicken with a tropical BBQ marinade that caramelizes into a sweet-savory, sweet-and-smoky glaze. Grilled chicken thighs get frequent basting, then are served with quick-grilled pineapple rings for bright flavor and char.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Hawaiian Fusion
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Whiskey pineapple chicken
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • 0.5 cup pineapple juice
  • 0.25 cup whiskey
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 grilled pineapple slices

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the whiskey-pineapple marinade
  1. In a bowl, mix pineapple juice, whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks smooth.
  2. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade in a separate container to use for basting during grilling.
Marinate and grill
  1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the remaining marinade for 1-4 hours, covering the bowl so the chicken stays fully coated.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium heat and place the chicken on the grates, grilling for 6-7 minutes per side while basting frequently with the reserved marinade.
  3. Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes per side until they show grill marks and soften slightly.
Serve
  1. Serve the caramelized whiskey-pineapple glazed chicken with the grilled pineapple slices on the side.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the reserved 1/3 cup only for basting while the chicken cooks; don’t re-dip it after it touches raw marinade. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freezer: no (marinated chicken and pineapple quality drops after freezing). For a lower-sugar option, use light brown sugar or a sugar-free BBQ glaze-style sweetener in the marinade.